Foster’s comments came after Athletics Director Herb Deromedi proposed a $300 fee to incoming freshman and $200 to transfer students at a Thursday morning presentation in the Indoor Athletic Complex.

“I believe it merits more discussion and clarification of where the specific fee would go,” Foster said. “Given the current economic conditions I can see how a fee may be necessary to maintain Division I-A status.”

Deromedi said the fee would go to making improvements and keeping CMU at a Division I status.

“These are costs we can’t address —so with this fee we could address our needs,” he said.

Deromedi said the fee won’t affect anyone attending CMU right now.

He said the monies generated by the fee would mainly help deferred maintenance to facilities along with adding a women’s sport in continuing to meet Title IX requirements.

“These are dollars that the program needs to address the returfing of the football field. Further down the road, both the indoor and outdoor tracks need to be reconditioned.”

He said the estimated cost of replacing the Kelly/Shorts Stadium turf and building a place for the field hockey team to play would be around $800,000.

Deromedi said the fee would able the department to replace facilities without taking funds away from the Capital Improvement fund.

Adding another women’s sport would cost at least $450,000 but could rise, depending on what sport is added, he said.

“We have to show fact that we are making improvement (toward Title IX),” Deromedi said.

The athletics department has an upcoming NCAA certification starting with a self review in April. At the start of the fall 2004 semester the NCAA will then send in a group to perform a peer review of the department.

Derek van der Merwe, associate athletics director for compliance, said the review, which will end in spring 2005, looks at gender equity, student-athlete safety and other different components.

“The board has made a commitment that athletics will remain Division I A,” Foster said.

CMU is one of three schools without a fee in the Mid-American Conference. The fee Deromedi proposed would generate around $1.3 million, placing CMU 11th in the MAC.

Eastern Michigan received $1.6 million from its athletics fee last year, 10th in the MAC. Miami University received $7.6 million from its fee. Western Michigan University and Ohio University don’t have fees.

“This number is still well below other schools,” Deromedi said.

Trustees raised questions about the fee, when vice chairman James Fabino Sr. suggest a $30 per student/semester fee. Foster said that would count as a tuition increase.

Jeffery Caponigro asked if this was a fee that would need to be adjusted in a year, or if it could be a set fee for several years.

“Maximize if we can. This would meet the various needs at this point and time,” Deromedi said.

He said charging students for games, as another way of revenue, wouldn’t be a success.

“Schools (in the MAC) have tried but have failed miserably,” he said.

The trustees didn’t specify if or when a vote would come.

“I think parts of it have merit but it is a major expense to the students,” Foster said.

Deromedi said the proposed fee and the way it is implemented is flexible.

“That figure can change,” he said.

Central Michigan Life’s Tony Lascari contributed to this story.

MAC support dollars 2001-02* (000’s)
Member	Institutional Support	Student Fees	Total Support
Western	$10,811	—	$10,811
Buffalo	$6,207	$4,246	$10,453
Eastern	$8,646	$1,598	$10,244
Kent	$2,961	$6,772	$9,733
Miami	$1,806	$7,615	$9,421
Ohio	$8,659		$8,659
N. Illinois	$3,454	$5,021	$8,475
Ball State	$2,729	$5,463	$8,192
CMU	$7,868	—	$7,868
Akron	—	$7,279	$7,279
Toledo	$1,243	$5,585	$6,828
Bowling Green	—	$6,538	$6,538
Marshall	$2,423	$1,718	$4,141
* Source of data is EADA Report. Report for 2002-03 is not yet available. Debt service is not included in CMU's Institutional Support. Source: Athletics Department